![]() Players under 16 also have the mature language filter defaulted On for text chat. Chat defaults to “Nobody," profile details default to hidden, parties default to “Invite Only," and personalized recommendations are defaulted Off. In September, we implemented high privacy default settings for players under the age of 18. This means game developers should expand youth privacy protections to include players under 18. COPPA is just one of the many regulations addressing children’s privacy around the world, which are expanding to include teens. ![]() While game developers may be familiar with COPPA, they may not be aware of its global application. Players under 13, or their country’s age of digital consent, whichever is higher, will be able to play Fortnite while they wait for parental consent, but in a tailored environment where certain features, such as chat and purchasing, are disabled. We recently rolled out Cabined Accounts, a new type of Epic account that provides a tailored experience that is safe and inclusive for younger players. Developers should proactively create age-appropriate ways for players to enjoy their games.įortnite is rated Teen and is directed at an older teen and college-aged audience. Younger players who are interested in higher-rated games can find ways to access them. We have restored thousands of accounts that were banned due to reported chargebacks under our previous policy.ĭevelopers who create a teen-rated or mature-rated game can no longer assume that it won't be deemed to be directed to children, according to the United States’ Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). We’ve updated our chargeback policy to account for non-fraud related scenarios and will only disable accounts when fraud indicators are present. When that chargeback is initiated, it is common industry practice to disable the associated account as a fraud prevention measure. If a cardholder sees an unauthorized transaction on their statement, they may report it to their bank to have it reversed. Developers should consider avenues for players to request refunds that lie outside of the standard process. There are many ways players may seek to refund purchases. We’ve updated our payment flows with a hold-to-purchase mechanic that re-confirms a player’s intent to buy, as an additional safeguard to prevent unintended purchases alongside instant purchase cancellations and self-service refunds. Since May 2018, Fortnite has had a refund token system and an undo-purchase system, but now we've gone further. We don’t want players to pay for something that they did not intend to. Games should go above and beyond to make sure players even more clearly understand when they are making a purchase with real money or with virtual currencies to prevent accidental purchases. Pushing a button to complete a purchase is one of the most commonly used and easiest mechanics to complete online purchases. We’ve agreed with the FTC to change this practice, and we now offer an explicit yes or no choice to save payment information. Saving payment information by default is a common way to streamline the checkout process, so players do not have to re-enter their payment method every time they make a purchase. Over the past few years, we’ve been making changes to ensure our ecosystem meets the expectations of our players and regulators, which we hope will be a helpful guide for others in our industry.Īll game developers should rethink steps they’ve taken to simplify payment flows in favor of practices that provide the largest amount of clarity to players when they make purchase decisions. We accepted this agreement because we want Epic to be at the forefront of consumer protection and provide the best experience for our players. The laws have not changed, but their application has evolved and long-standing industry practices are no longer enough. Statutes written decades ago don’t specify how gaming ecosystems should operate. The video game industry is a place of fast-moving innovation, where player expectations are high and new ideas are paramount. No developer creates a game with the intention of ending up here. Epic will also pay $275 million USD to the FTC to resolve concerns related to children’s privacy in Fortnite. In it, Epic will pay $245 million USD to the FTC to resolve concerns related to past designs of the Fortnite item shop and refund systems in Fortnite, which the FTC will use to distribute to Epic customers at their discretion. ![]() Epic has reached a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
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